The present invention relates to a circle hook, and in particular, a circle hook that has a baitholder thereon.
In the fishing industry, many recreational anglers fish only for sport. For example, recreational anglers typically go out on private, rented or chartered boats to catch fish, such as marlin, shark and tuna, as well as billfish and sailfish species. To them, the thrill of the sport is the appeal, not the actual fish that they catch. If the fish is the right size and kind, the angler may want to keep the fish for mounting and display purposes, or take a few measurements to make a plastic mount. Also, if the fish is not the right size and kind, the angler may just decide to let the fish die, or take only a few precautions before throwing it back, giving the fish little chance of survival.
A practice known as xe2x80x9ccatch and releasexe2x80x9d was introduced to reduce the number of fish caught and unnecessarily killed as a result of recreational angling and other practices. The angler catches the fish, and once satisfied with having caught the fish, releases the fish back into the water. While there are still issues regarding the post-release survival rate of particular kinds of fish, such as red drum, spotted seatrout, summer flounder, bluefish, striped bass, weakfish, catfish, stripers, etc., the practice was designed to give fish a better chance of survival. If the released fish survive, they can be made available for future anglers, i.e., to replenish the sport. If the released fish are capable of human consumption, they can be made available for future fishermen, commercial or otherwise. In either case, the catch and release method can result in less stress to the particular species being caught, and therefore, can help conserve future fish populations.
In the past, a particular kind of hook termed a xe2x80x9ccircle hookxe2x80x9d was used to promote the catch and release method. A circle hook is one where the pointed end of the hook circles back and points toward the shank, leaving only a relatively small gap between the point and shank through which the fish""s mouth can be hooked. This feature makes it less likely that the fish will be throat-hooked or gut-hooked; with a circle hook, the fish is more likely to be only xe2x80x9clip-hooked.xe2x80x9d Being lip-hooked can enable the hook to be more easily released from the fish""s mouth, thereby avoiding the injuries that can result from the hook being caught in the throat, i.e., the damage that can occur when the fish struggles on the line or when the fisherman attempts to release the hook from deep inside the fish""s throat. This way, the fish can avoid mortal injury, and can be released back into the water, with an increased chance of survival.
One problem associated with past circle hooks of this type has been the inability to keep the bait from sliding into the gap, and therefore, interfering with the catch. Because, on a circle hook, the point faces the shank, and only a relatively small gap exists between the point and shank, if the bait slides into the gap, it can prevent the fish""s mouth from engaging the point, and therefore, make it more difficult to catch fish.
What is needed, therefore, is a new design for a circle hook that has a baitholder built in.
The present invention relates to an improvement in circle hooks designed to make the circle hook more effective in catching fish. The improvement relates to a small baitholder strategically located on the inside curvature of the hook. The baitholder is preferably formed by a small slice taken out of the shank, creating a pointed protrusion that points relatively down the shank away from the eye and toward the curved portion of the hook. The direction that the protrusion points is intended to make the baitholder more effective in preventing the bait from sliding up the shank.
Moreover, the protrusion is preferably located on the shank where the tip of the hook points toward the shank, or slightly below that point, such that when the bait is placed on the hook, it can be held along the curved portion away from the gap. Keeping the bait away from the gap can help improve the chances of catching fish by not allowing the bait to interfere with the fish""s mouth. The present invention also contemplates providing a relatively tight curvature at a particular location on the curved portion, to help prevent the bait from sliding too far in the opposite direction. By controlling the location of the bait on the hook, the present invention can help improve the ability of the hook to catch fish.